Time period - apartheid hadn’t completely set it. It was before it was really entrenched - they were just starting to move in that direction - like the American south before the Jim Crow laws.
Black people really respected the white people in a way that is strange to me. The people were more submissive and were crying out for help.
The title seems to be mourning the loss of what was lost - tribal breakdown (compare to the modern-day breakdown of the family) the younger generation doesn’t seem to realize what is lost
2. How is Cry, the Beloved Country part story, part prophecy, and part psalm? How does the story resemble the biblical parable of the prodigal son? How does it mirror another biblical parable, Absalom? What is the significance of Kumalo's son being named Absalom? Where else does the Bible inform the story?
Absolom rebelled against his father (a preacher), went to Johannesburg, turned his back on everything his father taught and killed a man
Absolom never was rebellious at heart, but was a follower and a survivor
Absolom was a mental prodigal son - returned spiritually before his death
Prophecy - written before apartheid took place but he saw the way things were going - but was hoping that things could be turned around
How would Paton have written the book differently if apartheid had already been put in place? “We really need to do something to change this before it all comes to pass.”
Very poetically written
3. There are many paradoxes in this novel: a priest's son commits murder; a white man who fights for the dignity of South African blacks is senselessly murdered; the father of the murdered son helps the father of the son who murdered to keep a disintegrating native tribe together. How do you reconcile these paradoxes? How do they contribute to the richness of the story? Why might Paton have made this choice?
Son murdering - it wasn’t because he was a bad person, just caught up in the wrong crowd. It wasn’t just one individuals fault, it was a society that failed them all.
There are simply no black and white ideas
Absolom was the only one punished - all of his friends got off free
-Judge was trying to placate both side, but in the end wasn’t fair to anyone
-Benefit’s the group at the expense of certain individuals
Jarvis helps - interesting because he learned so much from his son even after his death - saw his son’s vision and was able to turn his anger to something positive
-We can all learn from each other!!! No one has all the answers
4. Describe the role of faith in the novel. How does it serve Kumalo and Msimangu, the people of Ndotsheni? Was it faith that inspired Arthur Jarvis, and hence his father? What about Absalom? Is there any indication that faith impedes or injures any of the characters?
This book was highly focused on the roll of faith in our lives - and in a positive light (not found in modern literature)
Your only hope is to keep your religious focus
Gerturde's faith that she would find her husband impeded her
Kumalo trusted the wrong man when her first got to Johannesburg and lost a pound of his precious and limited funds
Lots of advise from Bishops (pray when in distress ,when there is no hope you pray, but not for yourself, pray for others)
Kumalo’s prayer at the end of the novel was very touching
There is a difference between fear and sorrow
-fear mode is worse than sorrow!!
-once Kumalo learned his son’s fate he was sorrowful but no longer afraid. It was the not-knowing that was killing him.
-the storm and the house, you can’t do anything when you are waiting for the storm to hit
“Fear is a journey, sorrow is arriving Pg 140
5. Although Kumalo is a priest and often has the highest intentions, he sometimes does things which are contrary. For example, when he visits his son's wife-to-be, in his efforts to hurt her, he asks if she would take him if he desired her. Where else do we see Kumalo falter? How do you reconcile these two sides of Kumalo? How do you relate to him? Do any of the other characters falter? If so, who? What is it that makes Paton's characters so realistic?
No unrealistic characters in this book. They are all very human.
Kumalo - how he talked to his son when he first saw him in jail. He lashed out and hurt his son.
“why did you do it?” is an example of a Useless questions - didn’t accomplish anything but just made everyone feel worse
Gertrude - Kumalo didn’t have much patience for her
Msimagnu was especially hard on Gertrude
Sister they lived with also had a hard time with Gertrude. She seemed to be particularly worried that Gertrude would influence Absolom's wife in a negative way.
Did Gertrude decide to become a nun or did she return to her old life?
-wanted to be good, but it was very hard
-comparison to the country? South Africa could go either direction?
-is Gertrude a symbol for South Africa?
-She left her dress and hat, so she didn’t feel good (shame) about her choice or she chose to become a nun
“God put his hand on me” don’t think I’m better than I am!!
6. One of the novel’s goals seems to be to offer a balanced portrayal of both white and black perspectives without condemning either side. Does the novel succeed in this goal? Is it too judgmental? Does it oversimplify any issues?
Did oversimplify but is the best piece of literature we are aware of to portray the right balance.
It was a priest’s son who murdered a white man trying to help the black community
Corrupt politicians - idiot tribe leader, John Kumalo - all seem to be extremes.
Is it too judgemental? We don’t know. We’re (mostly) white and looking at it form a 2012 perspective
Characters weren’t blamed, but the characters did shift blame to others
-even the judge blamed the law for not doing more to help Absolom
Nobody looks completely good or completely bad
7. What role do women play in the novel? How do the injustices they face affect them? Do they suffer from injustices that the men do not?
The women cheese me off! It's hard to relate to them because we don't know or understand the tribal system.
The are acted upon
We’re the product of a different generation/thought process
All of the women are minor characters
Women are extreme characters - either complete saints or Jezebels
Gertrude is careless - not evil, she just didn’t care
“That’s what we’re here for” Mrs. Lithbe (priests respected her)
8. Throughout the story, Kumalo experiences the absence of God and momentary losses of faith. He suffers through periods where it feels as if God has deserted him. What other characters experience the absence of God? Does Kumalo ever experience the presence of God? If so, when? Is God basically absent or present in Paton's novel? If so, in what way does God manifest Himself?
As everything falls into place in the end, you really feel God’s hand
God helped them to follow the path of his son, he found his family member-everything the Kumalo needed to do he was able to accomplish
-he never ran out of money
Maybe Paton wrote the book hoping that it would have more influence and that it would help to turn things around
Kumalo and the mountain - feels the peace of the spirit and (FINALLY!!) thinks about other people and not just his own grief
Why didn’t God warm Kumalo? Did he blame God because he was overwhelmed
D&C 121 (Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail)
Didn’t ask “why did this happen” Asked “Why didn’t you warn me?”
Now that life is kooshy, we blame God for everything
-when life was hard, they didn’t blame God because it was the natural cycle
9. As Kumalo leaves to go to Johannesburg, he fears. As he searches for his son, he fears. When he visits a few people on the search for his son, they fear. Why does Kumalo fear? Who or what does he fear? What other roles does fear have?
Fears the unknown
I’m small and it’s big!
Overwhelmed
Fears that worst nightmare is about to come true
Fear serves as a motivation - drives him forward to search for his son
Fear motivated Absolom’s friends to lie, find legal loop holes
Absolom’s guilt was stronger than his fear
10. Both Kumalo and Jarvis undergo revelations during the novel. Jarvis finally sees the injustice of South African society, and Kumalo realizes the consequences of losing the old tribal customs. Compare the two men’s journeys over the course of the novel. In what ways are they alike? In what ways do they differ?
Jarvis’ view change took longer - it was not a need it was a choice
Kumalo knew that they would did if they didn’t change
Jarvis followed the status quo but was motivated by his son
White people were afraid because they knew that equality would change their way of life. The best way to handle it was to force them down further rather than to offer them help and love and support
Kumalo grieved the loss of the tribe - we all cling to what we know, even if changes are for our best interest
Books vs. kindle. We all (obviously) love to read. Many of us love the convienience of a kindle (which is new technology) but we "fear" the loss of actual books - the smell of the paper, flipping the pages, etc.
11. Although we didn’t meet Arthur Jarvis while he was alive in the novel, we get to know him really well through his office. What does his office say about him?
EDUCATION
Loved Abe Lincoln - pivotal figure in founding equality between white and black
-marytar for the cause
-freed the slaves
Had a bookshelf in Affrikanns - was willing to learn about the culture that he was trying to help
-invested himself in the cause
-go big or go home
Everyone wanted to know his belief’s (everyone respected him, unlike John Kumalo) not everyone agreed with him but they respected him
The country wanted to hear his perspective
12. Kumalo journeys to the mountain on the night of his son’s execution. What does his night vigil achieve for him? What does it achieve for the reader?
He finds peace. He’s gonna be ok
Beautiful prayer! Confessed his sins, was grateful
His perspective was good even though he was going through trials
Upset that the son died because it wasn’t fair
Both father’s have grandchildren so the family line carries on
-Jarvis’s grandson is helping to make the change!
13. The last few sentences Arthur Jarvis wrote before his death are: "The truth is that our civilization is not Christian; it is a tragic compound of great ideal and fearful practice, of high assurance and desperate anxiety, of loving charity and fearful clutching of possessions." Where in this novel do we see a split between high ideals and narrow self-interest? Do the characters embody one or the other, or are they morally mixed?
Absolom was morally mixed but he recognized it
-wants to marry the mother of his child
-wants to rob a house because it is easier
-feels guilt
John Kumalo has good ideas but looks out for himself and his family
-doesn’t believe in his cause enough to risk anything
Gertrude - did she go for the high ideal or did she go for the easy money
-white people cling to their power so that they can keep their money
I wish it was said more in depth to be able to understand
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